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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bark — to shout
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fall — to drop
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wax — to grow
  10. firm — decided
  11. fall — the season
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com